Welcome Message PM Sent to New Users

[radare]

All,

I've recently implemented an enhancement to the site's forum that allows the system to send Welcome Message type PM's to new users. I did this hoping that it might improve participation amongst new members.

Here's the draft of the Welcome Message PM. I think it might be too long and wordy to be read (you know how wordy I can get sometimes). So I'm posting it here for you all to weigh-in on and edit.

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Hello, {USERNAME}!

I'd like to take a moment and welcome you to XJRider. So, welcome; we are glad you're here! There are several things you can do that will help you settle in and become part of this community, quickly.

As a new user, the first thing you should consider doing is setting your avatar and editing your profile to include a signature. These are done in the User Control Panel. Your avatar photo can be any image type but must be 120 x 120 pixels or smaller and less than 20kb in size. Have fun and be creative when choosing photos for your avatar; they tell the board a lot about your personality and they are what's seen when we read your posts. While you are at it, you should fill out your profile as completely as possible. Include information such as your location, the year of your bike, etc.

Once you have your profile and avatar set, it's time to introduce yourself to the members of the forum. Visit the Introduce Yourself forum and post a new topic. This is your introduction. Within that topic, tell us where you're from, how long you've been riding, what some of your favorite rides have been, etc. Share photos of your bike if you have them. If you're new to riding and just excited to be here, well, say that too. Posting an introduction is the best way to show XJRider.com what you're about and what your experiences are. It also helps the existing members of the forum get to know you and understand your abilities.

Before you post a new thread on XJRider.com in areas outside the introduction area, you should search the forum using the Search page and see if anyone has posted up similar topics before. There are many topics that are repeated and this will improve the efficiency of the site. Once you've established that the information you are looking for is unavailable, it's time to post a new topic. Navigate to the appropriate forum, click on the New Topic button at the top of the forum and ask your question or share your information. Use descriptive titles: Post titles are how the forum search system works. Posting accurate and descriptive titles will help others find the information in your post. Provide adequate detail and include photos if needed: Use proper grammar, proper spelling, proper punctuation and be thorough when posting. Proper grammar/spelling/punctuation will keep you from irritating the pet peeves of the Admin and will also help maintain the professionalism of the forum.

Sharing photos, videos and other media on XJRider.com is encouraged and appreciated. We have a fairly well-written how-to on posting photos which will guide you through the process. XJRider.com uses a separate program, Coppermine, to run the photo gallery. When visiting the gallery for the first time, you will need to register a username and password. I recommend using the same one as the board for consistency. Photos must be a maximum of 1900 pixels wide and must be less than 8MB in size or they will not post to the gallery. We don't host Videos on XJrider.com, unfortunately; when sharing videos, you'll need to use a 3rd party service such as Vimeo or YouTube.

XJRider.com has a continually growing population of XJ enthusiasts who routinely check in and respond to questions, read stories and moderate the forums. One of the best ways to become part of this online community is to use it regularly, build on the topics and conversations, and provide good useful and usable information. Most importantly, get excited about your XJ600. Take photos when you ride and share them. Take photos when you take it apart and share them, too. Dream about modifying it, about riding it, about enjoying it. Talk about it to others. Represent it. That's what we're all here for is to have fun.

The section of XJRider.com, referred to as The Wall, houses the guides, how-to's and reference information that we've collected over the years. If we've done maintenance, performed modifications or frequently used a specific bit of reference data, we've posted it to The Wall. When tracking down a problem, looking for a repair how-to, or looking for general information such as specifications, torque specs, or even an online manual, look there first.

Lastly, we have a team of moderators and administrators here to help you with problems, fix posts and keep the site moving along smoothly. If you ever need help, don't hesitate to PM one of us and we will do our best.

Again, Welcome to XJRider.com!

Robert